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The UN has said "further progress" has been made towards the removal and elimination of the Syria's chemical weapons after the first batch of materials left the country.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "The Joint Mission encourages the Syrian Arab Republic to continue its efforts to complete the removal of chemical materials as soon as possible in a safe and timely manner.

Syria has moved the first batch of chemical weapon materials out of the country after transporting it from two sites to the port city of Latakia and onto a Danish vessel, the international chemical weapons watchdog has said.

"The vessel has been accompanied by naval escorts provided by Denmark and Norway, as well as the Syrian Arab Republic," the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a statement.

"It will remain at sea awaiting the arrival of additional priority chemical materials at the port."